cannabisnews.com: Court Permits Blaine Factory To Make Hemp Products





Court Permits Blaine Factory To Make Hemp Products
Posted by CN Staff on April 29, 2003 at 12:22:42 PT
By Andy Aley
Source: Western Front
A stay issued by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will temporarily allow manufacturers, retailers and consumers to continue making, selling and eating foods containing hemp products. The stay, granted after the Hemp Industries Association filed a motion in the court, prevents two new U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency rules from taking effect until the court can review them.
The DEA designed the rules, which would have taken effect April 21, to clarify which substances are legal and illegal under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, DEA representative Will Glaspy said. The rules classify any products that contain tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, as illegal if they are intended for consumption, Glaspy said. THC is the primary psychoactive chemical in marijuana."THC is a controlled substance," Glaspy said. "So the act that was passed by Congress does not say a specific amount of THC is illegal; it says that THC is illegal. Therefore, any product that would cause THC to enter the body would be an illegal product."While THC is a Schedule One Controlled Substance, listed with drugs such as heroin and Phencyclidine (PCP), organic food manufacturers and retailers argue that their products contain little, if any, detectable traces of THC. David Neuman, vice president of sales and marketing for Nature's Path Foods in Blaine, said Nature's Path routinely tests its products to ensure that the THC content is lower than one part per million, which is the lowest amount conventional testing procedures can detect."This is a food," Neuman said. "This has no possibility of ever giving anybody a buzz. It doesn't matter how much you eat." Nature's Path, an organic food company operating out of Blaine and Delta, B.C., makes granola cereal and waffles that contain hemp seeds. Neuman said the products are popular and generate substantial revenue for the company. "It is a big part of our sales - in the millions of dollars of annual revenue," he said. "And if we lost that, it could affect jobs, it could affect the revenues of the company, the stability of the company."Neuman said the health benefits of hemp seeds outweigh any potential harm trace amounts of THC could cause. Hemp seeds contain approximately 35 percent protein by weight, amino acids and essential fatty acids, which doctors recommend eating to lower cholesterol, he said. "Hemp seeds are about the most nutritious product behind soy beans that you can eat," Neuman said. "They are what are called a complete food, meaning they have protein, fat and carbohydrates."Source: Western Front, The (WA)Author: Andy AleyPublished: April 29, 2003Copyright: 2003 The Western FrontContact: wfront cc.wwu.eduWebsite: http://www.westernfrontonline.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Nature's Pathhttp://www.naturespath.com/Cannabis News Hemp Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/hls.htmHemp Foods On The Ropeshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16083.shtmlNinth Circuit Court Blocks DEA Hemp Rule http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15993.shtml
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